Learn To Love Again
by TheGoofyCat
Summary: AU: Heartbroken by a certain Scott brother's harsh words, Peyton decides it's time to move on with her life, she's spent too long pining after Lucas Scott and it's now time to move on with her life to let go and find her true self. Set in Season 5 after Lucas tells Peyton he hates her. LEYTON. Breyton friendship and a bit of Brulian.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from One Tree Hill, I am not making any money out of this, this is just for mine and hopefully others entertainment. So please don't sue.

**Authors Note: **Well hi there, this is really strange for me, I'm used to only writing fics about the movie Stand By Me and for The Lost Boys so this is really different for me. I've had this idea for quite a while and decided to finally write it down. Now don't get me wrong I love season 6 of OTH but I always felt that Lucas kinda got of lightly when it came to Peyton, I felt she should have made him wait and make him feel the way he had made her, you know a little payback, so this is an AU fic set in Season Five just after the moment Lucas tells Peyton he hates her, so anything that happens after might or might not happen. So this is a Leyton fic, but with Breyton friendship and a little bit of Brulian. I love Brooke and want to focus on her and Peyton's friendship.

I haven't read much OTH fanfiction so I'm not sure if this has been done too many times, sorry if it has and I haven't meant to steal anyone's ideas.

I hope you enjoy.

The title of this fic is from the same tilted song from Lawson, If you haven't listened to it, I highly recommend it, it's always reminded me of Lucas/Peyton and II think it just fits them so well. This story is inspired by it too.

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><p><em><strong>Learn To Love Again<br>By  
><strong>__**TheGoofyCat**_

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><p>"Peyton," Slowly his head rose from the pillow, "I hate you." He muttered, his voice hoarse and strained, he had drank too much.<p>

"What?" She gasped, her voice soft and low.

"I wish you never came back. You ruined my life." And with that Lucas Scott gulped away the nausea as his head hit the pillow and he passed out. He wouldn't remember tonight nor would he remember the hateful words he had just uttered.

But Peyton Sawyer, she would remember them forever.

She couldn't pin point the moment her heart shattered into pieces, was it when he had told her he hated her or was it when he wished she had never returned. Had she really ruined his life? Those questions ran through her mind as she gently gripped onto the bottle of jack in her hand.

She wasn't a big drinker, usually she only drank at social gatherings but somehow she had found herself alone, sitting at the court, the bottle of whiskey in her left hand and a cigarette in her right. She took a drag from the cigarette, unable to keep the smoke down she coughed it back out, she had never been much of a smoker either but if there ever was a time for it tonight was the night. She took another swig from the bottle, the burning sensation down her throat drowned out the pain in her heart.

Pain. She has had her fair share of it, physically, mentally and sometimes she had even caused it. But none of it could ever amount to this, the man she loved with all her being had told her he hated her and he had said it with such sincerity she didn't question it. It felt like she had been punched in the gut, knocking the wind right out of her.

The tears kept falling as the cigarette kept burning, she threw it to the ground and wiped the tears off her face with her free hand.

She could get through this. She had to get through this. Her dad was just a phone call away and she had her work, her friends and then there was her best friend Brooke Davis, no doubt in her mind that Brooke would be there for her, all she had to do was pick up her cell phone and click speed dial and B. Davis would be right beside her as soon as she clicked 'end call'. But Peyton Sawyer wasn't going to do that, too many times she had leaned on Brooke for comfort, too many times she had wallowed in self pity, it was time she got back up and figured out what she wanted to do with her life.

She alreay had the record label, but then again it wasn't really hers. She really needed to take a deep breath and think about what she wanted.

But right now it was time to finish off the bottle of jack in her hand.

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><p>"Good morning," Brooke Davis' shrill voice filled the air as she happily walked into her bathroom. Peyton groaned as she pulled her head out of the toilet. "I didn't hear you come home last night, you dirty stop-out." Brooke chuckled as she opened the bathroom window, letting the much needed fresh air into the room.<p>

"It's not like that." Peyton grumbled as she took in a breath of cold air, it felt much nicer then the cigarette had from last night, just the thought of one drag sent Peyton back into the depths of hell and the contents of last night splashed it's way into the toilet.

"Nice," Brooke grinned as she sat herself down on the edge of the bathtub. "Hmm, don't you think now would be the perfect time for a big fat greasy burger?" She smirked to herself as she watched Peyton heave up another storm.

"Really? Brooke? A little compassion would be nice." Peyton mumbled through gritted teeth as she tried in all her might to keep down whatever was brewing inside her stomach.

"But what are bff's for if they can't make your hangover ten times worse?" Brooke replied with her sweet smile that had wormed its way into everyone's heart. "But in all serious, Peyton, this isn't like you, what's up?"

"N-nothing." Peyton stammered as she ran a hand through her messed up hair, her fingers lacing through the tangled mess.

"Please tell me this has nothing to do with a certain Scott brother?" Brooke raised her eyebrows at her best friend, she watched as Peyton gave her a guilt ridden look. "What did I tell you, P. Sawyer?"

"But-"

"No buts, Peyton, I told you not to get involved with Lucas, he's going through a rough time and, Peyton, you'll just make it ten times worse." Brooke sighed at her, she had felt bad for Lucas, after all no one deserved to be ditched at the alter, well maybe one person, Rachel Gatina, but that was for another day she couldn't dwell on it now, she had been so distracted by her thoughts on her former friend she had forgotten what she was saying to Peyton in the first place and then she remembered. "Oh, yeah. If you're wanting to end up with Lucas you have to wait until he's ready," She looked down at her diamond crusted watch. "And with Lucas' recorded we have about three days."

"It wasn't like that, Brooke." Peyton told her, her heart breaking just by the thought of having to repeat what had happened last night. She got up from the floor slowly and she made her way over to the wash basin, turning the tap slowly letting the cold water run out, she washed her hands. "Last night," She paused taking a deep breath as Brooke waited impatiently for her excuse she almost fell into the tub. "Last night when I was leaving the studio, I found Lucas," She looked at herself in the mirror any minute now her voice would crack and she would burst into tears, she turned off the tap slowly. "He was passed out drunk at the bar and I couldn't leave him like that, so I took him home and put him into bed, where-"

"Oh my God! Peyton, you didn't!" Brooke's eyes widened in shock and she gripped the side of the tub with her hands. "You sl-"

"Where he told me hated me and wished I never came back!" Peyton interrupted.

"He did what?" Brooke yelled, her voice going right through Peyton's hungover ears. Brooke was practically half way through the door when Peyton stopped her. "Let me go, P. Sawyer, I'm going to go kick some Brooke-Ass!"

Grabbing onto Brooke's toned arms she pulled her back. "Please, don't go over there. I just want to forget it ever happened. He told me I ruined his life," It was at that point Peyton burst into tears and she collapsed to the floor, Brooke catching her on her way down, the two sat on the cold tiled floor as Brooke placed her warm hands round Peyton's shoulder. "Is it true? Did I really ruin his life?" She hiccuped.

"Oh, Sweetie, he was just drunk." Brooke winced as she looked at Peyton's heartbroken face. "This is Lucas we're talking about, the guys a prick when he's sober let alone when he's drunk."

"But he hates me!" Peyton cried. "You tell the truth when you're drunk."

"He doesn't, he's just an ass-hole who got too drunk." Brooke squeezed Peyton's shoulder tightly. "And if that's the case I'm in love with cheese."

"What?" Peyton asked, if she wasn't confused she was now.

"Last time I got drunk I professed my love for cheese, so If we tell the truth when we're drunk that means I'm going to marry me some cheddar."

"Oh, Brooke." Peyton smiled as she sniffed away her blocked nose.

"Now don't get me wrong, I like cheese but I don't think me walking down the isle to a block of Gouda would be an ideal situation." Brooke laughed and she watched Peyton join in on her laughter.

And at that moment Peyton was glad she could call Brooke Davis her friend, no matter how strange that girl could be, she sniffed again as her hand reached for a towel that hung on the rail, about to put it to her face Brooke had slapped it out of her hand.

"Now I love you, Peyton Sawyer. But I ain't letting you ruin a hundred dollar towel with your messed up mascara and snot." Brooke passed her a tissue.

"Really, Brooke? Hundred dollars? For a face cloth."

"Hey! It's pure Egyptian cotton!"

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><p>Hope you like it and if you would be so kind to review (please no flames)<p> 


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